Mara Brock Akil Faces Challenges On Season 2 Of ‘Being Mary Jane’

Mara Brock Akil is dreaming up ways to blow viewers away season 2 of ” Being Mary Jane”!

It was just a year ago that BET got viewers hooked on Mara’s latest series. Gabrielle Union was perfect in the lead role as Mary Jane Paul, a stunning but complex woman that was wildly successful in her career and desperate to start a family. Season left Mary Jane in an oddly upbeat place as she found enough courage to accept her single, childless status.

Viewers found Mary Jane relatable and likeable, but were infuriated when she made terrible life choices. It was all part of the magic that kept people tuning in for more every week. “Being Mary Jane” served up “Aww,” “OMG,” and “WTF” moments in nearly equal supply least season. Naturally, fans are expecting nothing less for the next cycle.

Mara admitted that bringing something compelling for season 2 is no small order. There are quite a few challenges that need to be met.

“Keeping the quality. Keeping it high and keeping it exciting. I don’t know if its [so] much challenging as its been fun,” Mara told TheJasmineBrand.com. “Production in general, getting your story told and getting it executed and out to the audience is challenging all the time, for everybody all the time.”

The series creator adds an extra dimension to the requirements by striving to raise the bar for her show. “For me it was always being better than I was last time,” Mara said.

Fans of the show aren’t shy about sharing their wish lists for season 2, but Mara isn’t going to let their demands shape the story. She’ll be trusting her creative instincts to determine what happens next, and she’s confident viewers will be on board for the ride she’s mapping out when the show returns.

“Honestly, of course I want the audience to love it, but I have to love it first. I have to know its good,” said Mara, who often bounces ideas off of her husband Salim Akil. “My second pair of eyes is Salim, so once he says its good, I’m pretty sure we’re going to be alright.”

She added, “I’m excited I have a partnership with the audience, that they have that expectation of me.”

Working with her husband isn’t always easy because there are times when their passion causes them to clash creatively speaking. The pair have found a way to work out those differences though. “Theres always those moments. We’re artist, but we’ve found a really wonderful formula. It’s based in respect,” Mara explained. “I really respect him as a director and visionary and he respects my vision of creation.”

They’ve each gotten a chance to helm projects, and Mara revealed that part of what helps them work together are clearly defined boundaries.

“When he was directing Sparkle, I made it clear it was his vision I was serving,” she recalled. “When it comes to ‘BMJ,’ he’s very clear that its my vision that he’s serving. We are very clear at the onset of every production who gets the last word.”